Letter from Jessie Jennette Our PCUSA Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) New Orleans, Louisiana July 17, 2008
	Friends, It’s time to pack. I tossed and turned all last night, distracted by the number of things left to do and the short amount of time left to do them in. (The fact that I was still sticky and sweaty from the day’s work and was too tired to take a shower might have been another explanation for the sleepless night.) I pulled out my suitcase and laid it open on the couch/bed in my trailer and was just staring at it, wondering what to pack first. It afforded me the opportunity to take a closer look at all the things I’ve accumulated these past 11 months, which include: 1. A bag of beads from Mardi Gras 2. A bandana from Jazz Fest 3. A small library from my friends and mentors 4. A stray dog from the East End of New Orleans, now my Miss “Molly,” (she’s coming home with me) 5. A scrapbook of PDA (Presbyterian Disaster Assistance) volunteers 6. A pair of Saints earrings, complete with little, gold bells 7. A print of a Café du Monde painting from the French Quarter 8. A CD of Zydeco music 9. An extra tall pair of rain boots 10. A plaque of “The Cajun 10 Commandments” 11. A very smelly pair of work boots 12. Seven PDA tee-shirts, each one stained, stretched, ripped or painted in its own way In addition to all of this, I’ve also accumulated a little insight. In returning home, I anticipate being asked one question to which I never have the same answer: “What have you learned this year?” Those six words sum up everything I am still struggling to process. Could I maybe have that rephrased into a yes or no question?             “Did you learn anything this year?”             “Yes.”             “Was it the most amazing experience of your life?             “Yes!”             “Can you tell me one thing that you felt changed you?             “I can’t think of a single answer now, and until I can give you a more comprehensive answer, I feel that my answer is cheapened and won’t do this year with PDA justice.” It’s no easy answer. I could tell them about the moments of total elation, where I felt like I was riding on cloud 9 and never going to come down. I could play up the times that I felt awkward, under-qualified, and wished that just the right person with the perfect answer and demeanor for that situation was in my place at that moment. I could paint a pretty picture of the weeks where everything went according to plan, when it seemed that it couldn’t happen, when I made the right call and impressed everyone with my performance as a village or worksite manager. Then again, there were low spells and dark voids in which I was completely overwhelmed and might have given up had there not been others in place to teach me to rest, to take a Sabbath, self-care methods, and how to not depend solely on my own strength. How can I possibly communicate all this to everyone that asks me those six words? I want to show them that I feel like this year helped me recognize something in myself that I didn’t see before, that above the things I learned about myself, I learned the importance of mission and what can happen when lots of people do little things. That unless I’m part of mission in the future, I’d regress and become the numb, incomplete person I was before I sought out a way to heal that gap in me. I’m still me—somewhat of an idealist with too much enthusiasm and not enough street smarts, but I’ve changed too, for the better I think. I have been accepted for a short-term interim position at Westminster Presbyterian Church in DeKalb, Illinois, and will be leading the college group and working with campus ministries there through mid-October. After that, there’s one big world of possibilities out there. I may pursue further education with biological sciences degree or possibly follow a career in art, my minor in college. There’s also the option of returning to complete student teaching and become a high school biology teacher, as I originally planned, or I could follow God’s voice to another place and work there until I’m called somewhere else. I do know that my church family will always be my home, and I hope to get some “quality family time” in before the next leg of my journey begins. All my love, Jessie To read all of Jessie's blogs for the last year, go to the following link and scroll to "New Orleans and the Gulf Coast" www.pcusa.org/missionconnections/yav
		To learn more about the PCUSA's YAV program for 19 - 30 year olds go to:  www.pcusa.org/yav/